Imam Ibn Daqiq Al-Eid - Brief Biography

"We know from our masters person having diverged the fact that Ibn Daqiq al-Eid renovator is the scientist sent to the seventh century, referred to in the prophetic hadith, and he was the master of his time by his knowledge and righteousness in religion." - Sheikh Taqi al-Din al-Subki

Ibn Daqiq al-Eid (1228-1302), is accounted as one of Islam's great scholars in the fundamentals of Islamic law and belief, and was an authority in the Shafi'i legal school. Although Ibn Daqiq al-'Id studied Shafi'i jurisprudence under Ibn 'Abd al-Salam, he was also proficient in Maliki fiqh. He served as chief qadi of the Shafi'i school in Egypt. Ibn Daqiq al-Eid taught hadith to al-Dhahabi and to many other leading scholars of the next generation. In his lifetime, Ibn-Daqiq wrote many books but his commentary on the Nawawi Forty Hadiths has become his most popular. In it he comments on the forty hadiths compiled by Yahya Al-Nawawi and known as the Nawawi Forty Hadiths. His commentary has become so popular that it is virtually impossible for any scholar to write a serious book about the forty hadiths without quoting Ibn Daqiq.

History 

His namesake 'ibn Daqiq al-Eid' however was gained from his grandfather who was described as being fond of sporting a bright white turban, one as white as the flour used to make pastries during Eid celebrations. From that point on, the name was passed on to his son and later to Imam Taqiyy ad- Din Muhammad ibn` Ali Ibn Wahb who would often be addressed as Ibn Daqiq al-Eid.

After memorising the Quran as a child, he attended various halaqahs in the city of Qus and was initiated into the Maliki school of jurisprudence from his father. His quest for learning however later brought him to Sheikh Al-Baha 'Al-Qifti, a disciple of his father. He also learnt the disciplines of Arabic with Sheikh Mohammad Abu Al-Fadl Al-Mursi. Further deepening his quest for knowledge, he later travelled to Cairo to study under the tutelage and guidance of Imam Al-`Izz Ibn `Abd As-Salam of whom was regarded as the 'Sultanul Ulama''. He studied the laws and foundations of Shafi'i jurisprudence from the later and was under the guidance of Imam Ibn 'Abd al-Salam to the day he died in AH 660 (1262 AD). He later went on to Damascus to learn Hadith from Damascene scholars before finally returning to Egypt and settling down in the city of his childhood, Qus.

Upon his return to Qus at 37 years old, he was appointed as a judge according to the Maliki mazhab. His appointment however was shortlived as he found himself unfamiliar with the fame linked to the newly gained appointment. He soon found himself returning to Cairo to teach Prophetic Hadith in Darul Hadith Al- Kamiliyyah , a school built by Sultan Al-Kamil in A. H. 621 (1224 AD).

His proficiency in Hadith was soon recognised, earning him the title of 'Sheikh of Darul Hadith', the highest position in this specialized institution. He was known for his rigour and thoroughness, constantly researching on the chains between hadiths. The methodology he employed in the study of hadith can be read in Al- Iqtirah fi Ma'rifat Al- Istilah.

He later taught law at the Nasiriyyah School of Salahuddin Al-Ayubi, a school primarily catering to the Shafie Madhab and built in close proximity to the tomb of Imam Ash-Shafie. Given his mastery of two law schools, Shafi'i and Maliki, he was asked to teach at Madrasah Fadiliyyah, a prestigious institution which was also hosting Andalucian born Sheikh Abu Abdillah Muhammad bin Umar Al-Qurthubi.

Chief Justice of Egypt

Observing such a stance, he remained steadfast and did not bend under pressures for undue favour. In one instance, he rejected the testimony of Monkutmar, the Secretary of the Sultanate, in an inheritance case holding that he was not a reliable man. Montkumar fought back and sent a stream of messengers to convince Ibn Daqiq on his testimony. Unfazed by the move, Ibn Daqiq finally resigned at the insistence of Monkutmar. 

He also pioneered a center responsible for the management and administration of property of orphans to preserve until they reached majority. The move was unprecedented in Egypt. Under such a move, a heir would only be granted of any inheritance should he be an adult. Otherwise, his fortune would be initially entrusted to the centre. He put a system in place in order to look at the welfare and well being of orphans.

Sheikh of Islam Taqiyy Ad- Din Abu Al -Fath Muhammad Ibn `Ali Ibn Wahb Ibn Mutî` ibn Abi Al- At- Tâ`ah Qushayri Al- Manfaluti was born in the month of Shaban 625 AH (1228) on the sea whilst his family were on the way to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage. He is widely regarded as one of the most important scholar of Hadith. His path towards Islamic scholarship began with his father, Sheikh Majd Ad-Din Abu Al-Hasan `Ali Ibn Wahb who was himself a prominent scholar in Hadith and Islamic jurisprudence.

Following the death of Judge Ibn Bint Al-A`azz, Imam Ibn Daqiq was approached to assume the post of Chief Justice in 695 A. H. (1296 AD). Though he was initially hestitant, he finally relented to the request, exposing himself to influential individuals within Egypt. Under his leadership, he maintained the need for Islamic law to be applied scrupulously and fairly.

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Imam Nawawi - Brief Biography

Tomb of Sayidduna Imam Nawawi

Abu Zakaria Yahya Ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī (1233–1277) (Arabic: أبو زكريا يحيى بن شرف النووي‎‎), popularly known as al-Nawawī or Imam Nawawī (631–676 A.H./1234–1277), was an influential Sunni Shafi'i jurist and hadith scholar. He authored numerous and lengthy works ranging from hadith to theology, biography, and jurisprudence.

He was born in Nawa, a place near Damascus, Syria, in the suburbs of Howran. He bore the signs of heavenly intelligence and wisdom at an stage of his life. For that reason, his father, a virtuous and pious man, arranged for a proper and befitting education for him. According to Sheikh Yasin bin Yusuf Marakashi, a saintly figure of Nawa says:

"I saw Imam Nawawi at Nawa when he was a youth of ten years of age. Other boys of his age used to force him to play with them, but Imam Nawawi would always avoid the play and would remain busy with the recitation of the Noble Qur'an. When they tried to domineer and insisted on his joining their games, he bewailed and expressed his no concern over their foolish action. On observing his sagacity and profundity, a special love and affection developed in my heart for young Nawawi. I approached his teacher and urged him to take exceptional care of this lad as he was to become a great religious scholar and most pious saint of future. His teacher asked whether I was a soothsayer or an astrologer. I told him I am neither soothsayer nor an astrologer but Allah caused me to utter these words." 

His teacher conveyed this incident to Imam's father. Keeping in view of the learning quest of his son, Imam Nawawi's father decided to dedicate the life of his son for the service and promotion of the cause of Islamic Faith. In a short period, Nawawi learnt to read the Holy Qur'an, nearing puberty by that time.

Nawa however had no academic or scholarly atmosphere, with no religious academies or institutes where one could earn excellence in religious learning. His father therefore took him to Damascus, which was then considered the center of learning and scholarship, with students from far and wide gathering. 

During that period, there were more than three hundred institutes, colleges and universities in Damascus. Imam Nawawi joined Madrasah Rawahiyah which was affiliated with the Ummvi University. Noted and eminent teachers of the period taught in that Madrasah. Imam Nawawi says:

"I studied in this institution for two years. During my stay in Madrasah Rawahiyah, I never had complete rest and lived on the limited food supplied by the institution." 

As a routine he used to sleep very little at night. When it became irresistible as a human being, he would lean and slumber for a while against the support of books. After a short duration he would again be hard at his scholastic pursuits.

Teachers and Guides

During his stay at Damascus, he studied from more than twenty celebrated teachers. These teachers were regarded as masters and authority of their subject field and disciplines they taught. Imam studied Hadith, Islamic Jurisprudence, its principles, syntax and Etymology fromgreat scholars of his time. Abu Ibrahim Ishaq bin Ahmad AI-Maghribi, Abu Muhammad Abdur-Rahman bin Ibrahim Al-Fazari, Radiyuddin Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin Abu Hafs Umar bin Mudar Al-Mudari, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin Isa Al-Muradi, Abul-Baqa Khalid bin Yusuf An-Nablusi, Abul-Abbas Ahmad bin Salim Al-Misri, Abu Abdullah Al-Jiyani, Abul-Fath Umar bin Bandar, Abu Muhammad At-Tanukhi, Sharafuddin Abdul-Aziz bin Muhammad Al-Ansari, Abul-Faraj Abdur-Rahman bin Muhammad bin Ahmad Al-Maqdisi, Abul-Fada'il Sallar bin Al-Hasan Al Arbali etc.

There were hundreds of Imam's students, among them some notables are: Alauddin bin Attar, Ibn Abbas Ahmad bin Ibrahim, Abul-Abbas Al-Ja'fari, Abul-Abbas Ahmad bin Farah, Rashid Ismail bin Mu'allim Al-Hanafi, Abu Abdullah Al-Hanbali, Abul Abbas Al-Wasti, Jamaluddin Sulaiman bin Omar Az-Zar'i, AbulFaraj Abdur-Rahman bin Muhammad bin Abdul-Hamid AlMaqdisi, Badr Muhammad bin Ibrahim, Shamsuddin Muhammad bin Abu Bakr, Ash-Shihab Muhammad bin Abdul-Khaliq, Hibatullah Al-Barizi, Abul-Hajjaj Yusuf bin Az-Zaki etc.

Desire and Crave for Learning

Imam Nawawi had endless thirst for knowledge, and it can be guessed from his daily practice of studies. He used to read daily twelve lessons and write explanation and commentary of every lesson and also made important additions. Whatever the book he read, he put down the marginal notes and explanations on that book. His intelligence, hard work, love, devotion and absorption in his-studies amazed his teachers and they become fond of him and began to praise and admire him. According to Imam Dhahabi, Imam Nawawi's concentration and absorption in academic love gained proverbial fame. He had devoted all his time for learning and scholarship. Other than reading and writing, he spent his time contemplating on the interacted and complex issues and in finding their solutions. Allah had also conferred upon him the gift of fast memory and depth of thought, and he who makes the right use of this boon, there remains no doubt in his sagacity and discernment. Imam Nawawi made full benefit of his God given qualities and potentialities and earned the highest degree of honor.

Simplicity and Manners

The learned persons, elite of the society and the public greatly respected the Imam on account of his piety, learning and excellent character. He used simple dress and ate simple food. Devout scholars do not care about worldly chattels, they give preference to religious and academic pursuits, propagation of Faith etc. They experience more heavenly delight and joy in such activities than those who seek satisfaction in luxurious foods, precious clothes and other worldly things. Imam Nawawi had a prominent place among the erudite notables of his age. He was God-fearing person having illustrious and glorious aims regarding propagation of Faith. Celebrated Sheikh Mohiuddin expresses his impression about Imam Nawawi as thus:

"Imam Nawawi had three distinctive commendable qualities in his person. If anybody have only one out of these three, people return to him in abundance for guidance. First, having knowledge and its dissemination. Second, to evade completely from the worldly inclinations, and the third, inviting to all that is good (Islam) enjoining Al-Ma'ruf [i.e., Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do] and forbidding Al-Munkar [polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden]. Imam Nawawi had all three in him."

Legacy

The learned Imam had a very short life but even during this short period, he had written a large number of books on different subjects. Every work of the Imam is a masterwork and a treasure of knowledge. Hundreds and thousands of people benefit from these works.

Some of the Prestigious Works of Imam Nawawi are:

1. Commentary on Sahih Al-Bukhari

2. Al-Minhaj fi Sharh Sahih Muslim

3. Riyad-us-Saliheen

4. Kitab-ur-Raudah

4. Commentary on Mohadhdhab

5. Tahdhib-ul-Asma was-Sifat

6. Kitab-ul-Adhkar

7. Arba'een

8. At-Taqreeb fi Ilmil-Hadith wal-Irshad fihi

9. Kitabul Mubhamat

10. At-Tibyan

11. Al-Idah fi Manasikil-Hajj

12. Sharh Sahih Al-Bukhari (Naqis)

13. Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud (Naqis)

14. Tabaqat Ash Shafi'iyah

15. Muhimmatul-Ahkam

16. Manaqib-ush-Shafi'i

17. Bustanul Arifeen

18. Al-Khulasatu fil-Hadith

19. Mukhtasar At-Tirmidhi

20. Al-Masa'il Al-Manthurah

21. Al-'Umdah fi Tashihit-Tanbih

After spending 28 years of age, Imam Nawawi returned to his hometown. Soon after his arrival at Nawa, he felt ill and died. Imam Nawawi is still living in the hearts of Muslims. His works are of everlasting value. May Allah bless him.

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Five Takeaways from Hadith 14

Hadith 14

Prohibition of Blood of a Muslim

On the authority of Abdullah Ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

"It is not permissible to spill the blood of a Muslim except in three [instances]: the married person who commits adultery, a life for a life, and the one who forsakes his religion and separates from the community."

Key Takeaways

One : Hadith is a pitfall except for scholars

According to scholars such as Imam Sufyan Ibnu Uyainah, hadith is a pitfall (for the untrained eye/layman) except for the ulama (scholars)/fuqaha (those rigorously trained in Islamic jurispudence).

This emphasises the importance of learning and seeking guidance from the learned not just merely on the authenticity of hadith but on the appropriateness of its application. 

We learned that Hadith 14, for example, is a general (عَام as opposed to مُطْلَق absolute) statement that has further exceptions and specificity based on other concrete evidences  established by scholars. The hadith pertains to legal penalties carried out by the Khalifah or his representative (not individuals). Without qualified scholarly conclusions, this hadith could easily be taken as absolute and the outcome could be detrimental.

Two : Islamic State Law Versus Secular State Law      

The Islamic Legal Code consist of:

a) Fixed penalty (hadd, plural: hudud) which has fixed the punishment for the crime and is most severe because of its purpose of deterrence

b) Qisas: Retaliation

c) Ta'zir: which is based on the discretion of the judge

As such, with the exception of qisas (retaliation), Islamic legal law is not too dissimilar from the secular common law in this respect

Three : Nature of Hadd

As pointed out by Sheikh Ahmad Saad Al-Azhari, the process which comes prior to the meeting of the hadd punishment is complex, complicated and rigid to the point where a speck of doubt can actually halt the proceedings of a particular case.

In traditional Islamic history, hadd for adultery is rarely implemented ('A legal fiction' as Sheikh Hamza Yusuf puts it). The cases that were implemented were mostly based on confessions.

Four : Qisas

Qisas is a Qur'anic imperative and its application has essentially been established by Ijma (scholarly consensus). It also has its rule in Biblical jurispudence (i.e. 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'.

However, the Muslim perspective has an added dimension of forgiveness and pardon. In fact, in qisas, one (who has fulfilled a set of criteria) can choose to retaliate (e.g.death sentence for the act of murder) or forgive and receive compensation. 

Five : 'Separating from the majority' - two valid legal conclusions

There are two valid legal conclusion for the statement 'leaving the religion & separating from the Jamaah':

a) Disassociation from religion AND committing acts of treason 

b) Openly/publicly denouncing one's faith                                                   

Our Sheikh highlighted that the prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم never ordered to kill anyone for merely denouncing one's faith. There were reportedly a number of people during his lifetime who denounced their faith but were left alone by the Prophetصلى الله عليه و سلم. Many classical scholars (e.g. As-Shafii as per the annotation for Ibn Daqeeq's) and contemporary scholars favoured the first legal conclusion; in line with the Quranic narrative that there should be no compulsion in belief. Contemporary scholars (like Syeikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah and his student, Sheikh Hamza Yusuf) further emphasised that the second legal conclusion is no longer valid in current times (where there is no proper Islamic governance, etc.), largely because the objectives (المقاصد; i.e. preservation of the Deen) of the legal penalty would not be achieved as it would in the past. Instead, it could bring about an opposite effect.

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Five Takeways from Hadith 12 & 13

Hadith 12 & 13

Hadith 12

Leaving That Which Does Not Concern You

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

"Part of the perfection of one's Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him."

Hadith 13

Love for Your Brother What You Love for Yourself

On the authority of Abu Hamzah Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) - the servant of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) - that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said :

"None of you will believe until you love for your brother what you love for yourself."

Key Takeaways

One : Non-beneficial pursuits can also compromise our good deeds

Two : Levels of Iman

Iman consists of its witnessing by tongue, affirmation through our hearts and the subsequent action manifesting faith itself. Tying back to hadith 12, it becomes pertinent for Muslims today to actually focus on the actions either through the performance of deeds that will further nurture one's relationship with his Creator or being of benefit to the society around him.

Three : The Pursuit of Complete Faith

This ties in perfectly well with hadith 13 on complete faith where the Muslims' preoccupation today must be for the spiritual and physical uplifting of the condition of the Muslim community in general. Eg providing Islamic education for the ignorant, attending to the material needs of the poor

Four : Two Permissible Envies

A Muslim is only allowed to envy his fellow Muslim on two matters: knowledge which is acted upon by a fellow Muslim and a fellow Muslim's wealth which is spent in the path of Allah.

Five : Imam Ghazali's guide

Imam Ghazali in Bidayatul Hidayah highlighted paths to ensure that our time can be beneficially spent:

a) Preserving the discipline of starting one's day with the recitation of the awrad (litanies) taken from the Qur'an, hadith and practices of the ulamas.
(Note: it is best that this is done with the guidance of a Syaikh whose supervision will ensure that we remain responsible and disciplined in the performance of our awrad)

b) Pursuit of sacred knowledge (eg aqidah, fiqh, tasawwuf etc) to attain closeness to Allah

c) Acting upon knowledge through acts of worship (ibadah)

d) Khidmah: Service to the ulama's and/or the community

e) if one cannot perform a)-d), then the very list he can do is to steer himself and his family from matters which are forbidden in religion and causing harm onto society.

Apart from the performance of forbidden matters, one must also be wary of spending more time than necessary on pursuits of things which are not forbidden but compromises our faith if done excessively. 

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Five Takeaways from Hadith 10 & 11

Hadith 10 & 11

Hadith 10

Restricting oneself to the permissible

Abu Hurairah, radiyallahu 'anhu, reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said:

“Verily Allah the Exalted is pure. He does not accept but that which is pure. Allah commands the believers with what He commanded the Messengers. Allah the Almighty has said: "O you Messengers! Eat of the good things and act righteously" [23:51-53]. And Allah the Almighty also said: "O you who believe! Eat of the good things that We have provided you with" [2:167-172]. Then he (the Prophet) mentioned (the case of) the man who, having journeyed far, is dishevelled and dusty and who stretches out his hands to the sky (saying): "O Lord! O Lord!" (while) his food was unlawful, his drink was unlawful, his clothing was unlawful, and he is nourished with unlawful things, so how can he be answered?”

Hadith 11

Being Cautious of The Doubtful

On the authority of Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abee Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), the grandson of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the one much loved by him, who said: I memorized from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):

“Leave what makes you doubtful for what does not.”

Key Takeaways

One: Wholesomeness & Yaqin

Wholesomeness (al tayyib) involves yaqin (immense believe) in Allah's provision for our wordly needs so that we can focus on our pursuits of the Hereafter.

Two: Being More Vigilant With Our Consumption

 It is important therefore that we start looking more discriminately at our consumption: food, drink, clothing and ultimately, our source of income because we cannot afford to have our prayers to be rejected.

Three: Prohibition comes in two forms

a) Prohibition in all things forbidden   by religion eg pork and liquor

b) Prohibition in things that will cause harm to ourselves eg the consumption of excessive sugar for a diabetic person

Four: The Importance of Scrupulousness

This ties in well with the hadith on scrupulousness as scrupulousness will make us more careful in our daily decisions eg performing work with amanah (trustworthiness) out of fear that our source of income becomes divorced from blessings.

Fifth: The importance of husnu-dzon (thinking well of one's ultimate condition)

Ultimately, one's prayers can still be accepted despite his shortcomings because it is possible that Allah accepts out of His generosity, kindness and nobleness.

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